Welcome Back!

Stephen Sylvia - Principal

Meghan Healy - Assistant Principal

Dawn Flibotte - Secretary

Office #: 617-984-8706

Email: stephensylvia@quincypublicschools.com
Website: www.quincypublicschools.com
Location: 50 Huckins Avenue, Quincy, MA, USA
Phone: (617)984-8706

Dear Squantum Families,

I am writing to officially welcome you back to the start of a new school year and truly hope you had a healthy and fun summer with family and friends. It is my hope that you find this communication helpful in terms of answering any of your questions or simply updating you on information as we approach the start of the 2024/2025 school year.

We are looking forward to welcoming back just over 350 students on the first day of school on Wednesday, September 4th. This will be a half day of school with dismissal at 11:55. The first day of school for Kindergarten students is the following Monday, September 9th. The first day of school for students in our CARES and SNLC classes is September 4th. Additional details on the start of the year is provided below. Kindergarten families will receive a welcome letter next week including information about Kindergarten orientation on September 6th.

The building is in great shape thanks to our custodians and our classrooms and learning spaces are ready to go thanks to our dedicated staff. You should also know that city plans for a new Squantum School are still on track with a predicted opening set for the Fall of 2027 and construction to start at the end of the upcoming school year. Please see the link below for updates and more information about this exciting project.

The city has been busy with preparation work this summer including replacing drains, power lines, and underground well work on the streets surrounding the school. It is my understanding this work will be completed prior to the start of the school year and please know that I will update you with any changes to the contruction schedule or impact to traffic patterns for the start of the school year.

I would also be remiss in not saying congratulations and best of everything to long time Squantum custodian Steve Wencek. Mr. Wencek retired earlier this summer after 37 years of outstanding service and dedication to Squantum and Quincy Public Schools. Thank you Mr. Wencek! Please join me in welcoming Mr. Austin O'Malley as our new head custodian.

The staff is energized and excited to continue offering outstanding academic programs and a variety of before and after school programs. Combine this with our popular PBIS program and our plans to support the social emotional well being of our students we are certainly set up for another safe, successful and positive start to the school year.

I also wanted to welcome some new hires for the upcoming school year. Please join me in welcoming new Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Martell, new SNLC teacher Ms. Bowes and new resource room teacher Ms. Niosi.

Student homerooms will be posted in ASPEN for all QPS elementary schools in ASPEN on August 30th. See below for information on how to access your ASPEN accounts and/or send me an email if your need a password reset or having difficulty with your account.

The school office is officially open for business the week of August 26th. Please feel free to call the main line at 617-984-8706 or email me at stephensylvia@quincypublicschools.com with any specific questions or concerns.

See you soon!

Sincerely,

Mr. Sylvia

• August 26th: Squantum Main Office Open for New School Year
• August 30th: Homerooms posted in ASPEN
• September 4th: First Day ~ Grades 1 - 5, CARES and SNLC
• September 6th: Kindergarten Orientation & "Popsicles in the Park" 9:00 am
• September 9th: First Day ~ Kindergarten
• Week of September 23rd: Scholastic Book Fair
• September 24th: PTO Meeting ~ 6:30 pm
• September 26th: Squantum Open House 5:30 - 7:00
• October 10th: Picture Day

Please see the links below for grade level supply lists for next year.

• Kindergarten
• 1st Grade
• 2nd Grade
• 3rd Grade
• 4th Grade
• 5th Grade
• CARES/SNLC

Please click here for a full 2024-2025 staff list

The district has created a back to school guide that contains important information about the upcoming school year and district related details. Please click here to access the QPS website for all things related to the 2024-2025 school year.

Please click here to view the Quincy Public Schools 2024-2025 school calendar for all important holidays, school closures, and early release day information.

The first day of school is Wednesday, September 4th for students in grades 1 to 5. Please note this is an early release day for all students and lunch will be served. The first day of school for QPS Kindergarten students is Monday, September 9th. There is a Kindergarten orientation scheduled for Friday, September 6th and details relative to time and location will be sent directly to to Kindergarten families as soon as possible.

Squantum School Hours are 8:15-2:30 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Wednesday will continue to be a half day for all QPS elementary school students. Dismissal on Wednesdays is 11:55.

All Quincy Public Schools utilize the ASPEN website. This is where contact information is stored, along with access to student grades at report card trimesters. Contact sheets will be sent home for updates early in the school year as a way for you to make any changes relative to general contact information, as well as emergency contacts in the event you are unable to be reached or unable to pick up your child from school. Your child’s homeroom teacher will be visible in the ASPEN portal on August 30th at 3:15 pm. This is consistent with all QPS schools across the district.

Please email stephensylvia@quincypublicschools.com if you need a password reset or more information related to your ASPEN account.

Students taking QPS buses will enter the building from the back main entrance or outdoor classroom door. Staff will be present to meet these students when the buses arrive.

Squantum families that are planning to walk or drop off students at school and then pick up at dismissal should enter using the designated doors below. Please adhere to our traffic patterns of only parking on the residential side of Huckins and only crossing the street at the crosswalks. Please be mindful of blocking residential driveways on the side streets as safety is a major priority during entry and dismissal times. Your cooperation during these times is truly appreciated.

• Kindergarten students will enter and then be dismissed using classroom doors in the front of the building.

• Grade 1 and 2 students will enter and then be dismissed using the Squantum door just up from the gym entrance in the front of the school.

• Grade 3 students will enter and be dismissed from the main SQU school entrance in the front of the building

• Grade 4 and 5 students will enter and then be dismissed using the door closest to the fire station in front of the school.

There will be signs at each entrance to start the year as we establish routines and staff will be present to open the doors at 8:15 and then for dismissal at 2:30.

Dismissal will be at 11:55 on Wednesdays from the same doors.

Students in our CARES & SNLC classes will enter from the back, near the bus entrance. Please park on Mayflower Road to drop off your child. See picture below.

If you would like to drop your student off at a grade level entrance, we can make special arrangements with staff. Please communicate with your child's teacher to organize this. Thank you in advance!

Quincy Public Schools is currently accepting applications for bus transportation this year for a number of schools including Squantum. Big bus routes are posted on the main QPS website along with the application process that will help to confirm your child is all set for the new school year.

Please note that a new application needs to be completed every year to renew your child’s bus transportation. Click here for the main QPS transportation page that includes direct links to bus routes and the application.

Kindergarten orientation will take place on Friday, September 6th.

During this time families will have the opportunity to meet the Kindergarten teachers, see the classrooms and learn important information for the upcoming school year. Orientation will begin at 9:00 a.m. The orientation is for both student and parents.

Immediately after orientation, all Kindergarten families are welcome to head over to the "Popsicles in the Playground" event sponsored by our PTO! This is a great time to meet new families and classmates!

The first full day of school for Kindergarten students is Monday, September 9th. Below are pictures of the entry and dismissal locations for our K classrooms.

We are excited to once again partner with Representative Bruce Ayers for our annual Race to Read summer reading program. Students in grades 1 - 5 were sent home with a reading log at the end of last school year to keep track of their summer reading books. Any student that returns a completed log to their homeroom teacher in September will be entered into the raffle to win a new bike! Details are attached.

Please click here for the Quincy Public Schools suggested summer reading list for 2024. This is for students in grades K-8.

Please reach out to the main office if you need another copy of the Summer Reading information.

We wanted to share the district health newsletter with guidelines for a healthy school year. Please click here to read the full message.

If your child is going to be absent please email your child’s teacher, dawnflibotte@quincypublicschools.com, or call the main office at 617-984-8706 by 8:30. Safety is our top priority, so we will call home if we do not hear from you.

In order for an absence to be considered excused, a written note must accompany the student the first day back in class. The note should include the date returning, child’s name, date absent, and the reason for the absence. Any absence for which the school does not receive appropriate notification will be unexcused.

All students that arrive after 8:20 or after the doors are closed, must report to the main office to check in with an office staff member.

Families are expected to provide their child’s regular daily dismissal plan to the classroom teacher at the beginning of each year. If a child’s routine dismissal plan changes or if a different pick up will be occurring, families should notify their child’s teacher and the office in writing by sending a note or email to the teacher as soon as possible. Students will not be dismissed to an unauthorized adult without a note or a phone call to the main office at 617-984-8706. This will ensure that all safety protocols remain in place.

If a student needs to be dismissed early from school, the parent/guardian must send a note to the classroom teacher or call the school’s main office. An authorized adult must report to the office to sign the child out. Children are not allowed to leave the school grounds prior to the regular dismissal time without the authorization of a parent/guardian.

The Squantum School staff would like to invite you to our annual evening open house on Thursday, September 26th.

This is a great opportunity to meet your child’s teacher, view their classroom and to learn some details about your child’s schoolwork and homework expectations throughout the course of the school year. Teachers will be available in their classrooms from 5:30 to 7:00 during this night.

We are also pleased to let you know the Scholastic Book Fair will be open during this night as a way to support the school. Squantum PTO members will also be available in the main hallway to share information about the school and various ways to support our students and the school community throughout the school year.

Students are given the opportunity to receive a school breakfast, lunch, and/or milk, as part of their daily routine.

Lunch and breakfast will be free for ALL students again this year. QPS strongly encourages parents/guardians to continue to complete the free and reduced lunch application this year in order to receive other benefits from the state, including P-EBT benefits. Menus and applications can be found on the QPS Food Service website.

Breakfast is available for all students beginning at 8:00 am. Any interested student may buzz in through the main door and walk down to the cafeteria. Breakfast is also available in the classrooms once students have entered the building. Please remind your child to let their homeroom teacher know if they need breakfast.

Lunch will be served in the cafeteria during your child’s assigned class time. Lunch will continue to be offered to students on early release days. This time will be built into classroom schedules.

Contractors have set up a temporary fence at the Wendall Moses Ballfield near Mayflower Rd. & Winslow Rd. They have been very busy throughout the summer replacing pipes, doing underground work and getting the site ready for construction. Projects will continue throughout the school year as we prepare for breaking ground in the Summer of 2025.

All updates will be posted on the design website. Please click here for more information.

Check out some pictures from work that was done this summer out back on the field!

If you would like to volunteer for school events, you need to be fingerprinted and CORI. Please see attached flyer for details on how to complete these steps. Thank you!